Card? Check. Flowers? Check. Breakfast in bed? Check. Comprehensive knowledge of the chemicals that affect us when pregnant, and before and after? Hmmm, that last one is the doozy.
We all know something about the toxicity of our environment, and something about the effect that toxicity may be having on us. But did you know there are more than 85,000 chemicals present every day in our lives - in cleaning and personal care products, in equipment and furniture, at home, at work, in our food? Most of these synthetic chemicals enter the marketplace without thorough testing of their impact on our health, starting in the womb.
Don’t women everywhere - especially mothers - want and deserve to know about these risks? Even more than we want another bunch of roses?
The gist is this: Mounting research indicates that toxic chemical exposure is strongly associated with poor birth outcomes, including higher risk of miscarriage, preterm birth, abnormal fetal development, obesity, diabetes, asthma, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and a range of other behavioral and cognitive problems. Phthalates, Bisphenol A, flame retardants, Teflon, and pesticides – this stuff doesn’t just sound forbidding. There is ever-increasing evidence that exposure to these chemicals, particularly during prenatal and early childhood development, can lead to serious health effects. But we are not doomed!
Of course, this issue is complicated. (Even our trusted doctors typically don’t have the training or tools to counsel us about it, as part of prenatal care.) Of course, we cannot rid our bodies, homes, work places or communities today of every possible risk. But we can definitely reduce those risks linked to toxic chemicals, with knowledge and action. And we can do it simply, clearly, consciously. This is where SafetyNEST comes in. Our mission is to be the most trusted resource for every pregnant woman and her healthcare provider, to safeguard mother and baby’s health against toxic chemical exposure.
No more trawling through pages and pages, online and off, to find whether cleaning products are toxic or not. No more wondering if your vinyl bathmat is leeching into baby’s bathwater (more on that later!). No more fretting when you can just figure things out. Our job is to make it easy and quick for you to research the risks that might be affecting you and your baby, so you can take immediate action to mitigate them. We - a non-profit - aim to be your one-stop shop for creating the healthiest possible environment for you and your baby, inside and out.
We'll do the work. You enjoy that breakfast in bed!
Til soon, Happy Valentine's Day.
Alexandra
Founder + Mom, SafetyNEST
